Nightshade Free Cornstarch Lemon Curd
Bright, tangy, and impossibly silky, this lemon curd is the kind of condiment that makes everything it touches taste more special — whether you're spreading it on scones, swirling it into yogurt, or eating it straight off the spoon. Many classic lemon curd recipes rely on egg yolks for thickening, but this version uses cornstarch instead, which keeps the ingredient list short and the process surprisingly forgiving. The result is a glossy, translucent curd with a clean citrus punch that holds its shape beautifully once chilled. Whisking in cold butter piece by piece at the end gives it that luxurious, smooth finish you'd expect from something far more complicated. Straining the finished curd through a fine-mesh sieve is the small extra step that takes the texture from good to genuinely restaurant-worthy. For anyone navigating a nightshade-free lifestyle, this is the kind of effortless, crowd-pleasing recipe that proves you're not missing out on anything — just leaning into the good stuff.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3–4 lemons)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ½ cup water
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions
- 1
Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a small saucepan until evenly combined. Add the water and lemon juice and whisk until the cornstarch is fully dissolved with no lumps visible.
- 2
Set the saucepan over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and turns from cloudy to translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Once it begins to bubble, continue whisking for 1 full minute — the curd should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and hold a clear line when a finger is drawn through.
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